Tampon applicators have been used for inserting a tampon into a vaginal cavity to prevent leakage of menstrual fluids or other fluids. In the field of tampon applicators, “push” type tampon applicators are well known. These applicators generally comprise, in a simple form, a pair of coaxial hollow cylinders or tubes. The larger outer tube serves as a vaginal insertion tube and houses a tampon. The inner tube serves as a plunger which ejects the tampon from the outer tube.
It has been recognized that tampon applicators of the type described above have certain deficiencies which can be readily apparent to many users of such devices. In general, the user removes the tampon applicator from the package. During removal, however, the outer member may be inadvertently removed from the inner member because there is not a lock formed between the outer member and the inner member.
Another deficiency with the tampon applicator occurs during removal of the tampon applicator from the vaginal cavity. After insertion of the tampon applicator into the vaginal cavity, when an axial force is applied along the longitudinal axis to the inner member, the inner member slides toward the insertion end of the outer member and bears against the rear end of the tampon expelling the tampon from the tampon applicator. Unfortunately, the user may plunge the inner member too far inside the outer member resulting in the insertion of the inner member into the body cavity. Because the inner member is inserted into the body cavity, during removal of the tampon applicator from the body cavity and there is not a lock to prevent the separation from the inner member from the outer member, the body tissues will hold onto the inner member with the vaginal tissues and body pressure. Because the body tissues hold onto the inner member which is now separated from the outer member, the tampon applicator exits the body cavity without the inner member, i.e., leaving the inner member behind.
To solve the above problem of the outer member separating from the inner member, it would be beneficial to provide a tampon applicator which provides a locking mechanism to prevent the inner member from separating from the outer member.